Bullies: A Friendship by Alex Abramovich

Goodreads Summary

The powerful account of one writer's unlikely friendship with his childhood bully, now the president of a motorcycle club in one of America's most dangerous cities.

Once upon a time, Alex Abramovich and Trevor Latham were mortal enemies: miniature outlaws in a Long Island elementary school, perpetually at each other's throats. Then they lost track of each other. Decades later, when they met again, Abramovich was a writer and Latham had become President of the East Bay Rats, a motorcycle club in Oakland.

In 2010, Abramovich moved to California to immerse himself in Latham's world - one of fight clubs, booze-filled nights, and beat-downs on the city's streets. But dangerous, dysfunctional Oakland was also becoming one of America's most rapidly gentrifying cities, and the questions Abramovich had arrived with were thrown into brutal relief: How do we live with the burden of violence? How do we overcome it? Do we overcome it?

As Trevor, the Rats, and the city they live in careen between crises and moments of renaissance, Abramovich explores issues of friendship, family, history, and destiny - and looks at what happens when those things fail. Bullies is at once a vivid, visceral narrative of an unusual friendship and an incisive portrait of a beautiful, terrible city.

My Thoughts

I didn’t particularly enjoy this book.  It wasn’t necessarily bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea, I guess.  When I read the description of this book I was intrigued.  I ended up a bit disappointed, though, because there really wasn’t enough about their actual friendship.  It started as though that’s what the entire book would be about but towards the middle we kind of lost that storyline.  It was brought back together in the end but it wasn’t enough to make me like the book. There was some interesting information about the history of Oakland and things like that but it just wasn’t what I was expecting to read about.

I didn’t completely hate it, but I really didn’t love it.  I don’t think I can even say that I liked it.  That makes me sad… I want to be able to love all books.  This didn’t receive a great rating from me.  Sorry

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Remember to Forget by Ashley Royer

Goodreads Summary

In Remember to Forget from Watty Award-winning author Ashley Royer, Levi has refused to speak since the tragic death of his girlfriend, Delia, and can't seem to come out of his depression and hindering self-doubt. Desperate to make some positive change in Levi’s life, his mother sends him to live with his father in Maine. Though the idea of moving from Australia to America seems completely daunting, Levi passively accepts his fate, but once he lands faces personal struggles and self-doubt at the same time he and his dad battle through resentment and misunderstanding. And then, while at therapy, Levi meets Delilah, a girl who eerily reminds him of someone he lost.

My Thoughts

When I received this book, I already had several that I had to read in front of this one so I just added it to my ‘to-read’ lest in my planner and put it on my bookshelf.  A few days later my daughter came in stating that she was bored so I told her to read a book.  She said she didn’t have any new books to read so I sent her to my bookshelf.  She asked if she could read Remember to Forget, I said yes, and she went off to her room.  Several hours later I realized that I hadn’t heard a peep from her in quite a while so I went to check on her.  She was in her room, lying across her bed, eyes glued to the book.  She finished it in one night!  A girl after my own heart!

When it was time for me to read the book, my daughter went on and on about how much I was going to love it.  She couldn’t wait for me to finish it and tell her what I thought.  Well…. drum roll please…. it was pretty good J

I don’t think I was quite as crazy about it as she was, but I did enjoy it.  I have found that I’m at about 50/50 when it comes to YA books.  I do like most of them but I’m not absolutely crazy about more than 50% of them most of the time.

I did enjoy the storyline, although I really didn’t like Levi very much in the beginning.  I understand that something very traumatic happened in his life but he was just way too rude and bratty!  If I say too much more I’ll give you spoilers!  Bottom line is, Remember to Forget is a book worth reading.  And, now that I’m finished reading it, my daughter let me know that she would like for it to be hers!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review.

Madam Tulip by David Ahern

Goodreads Summary

Suspense, mystery, action, a little romance and lots of laughs

Out-of-work actress Derry O'Donnell is talented, professional, just a little psychic... and broke. Spurred on by an ultimatum from her awesomely high-achieving mother, Derry embarks on a part-time career as Madame Tulip, fortune teller to the rich and famous. But at her first fortune-telling gig - a celebrity charity weekend in a luxurious castle - a famous rap artist mysteriously dies.

As Derry is drawn deeper into a seedy world of fashion, millionaires, horses and cocaine, she must race to save her best friend from jail and a supermodel from being murdered. Her efforts threaten to destroy her friends, her ex-lover, her father and herself.

Fans of humorous mystery writers Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen will love Madam Tulip.

Madame Tulip is the first in a series of thrilling and hilarious Tulip adventures in which Derry O’Donnell, celebrity fortune-teller and reluctant amateur detective, plays the most exciting and perilous roles of her acting life, drinks borage tea, and fails to understand her parents.

My Thoughts

Oh my word, this book was so good!  I absolutely loved it!  Madam Tulip has just the right amount of mystery, humor, suspense, and all around great writing!  Seriously, David Ahern outdid himself.  I didn't want to put it down!  I would have finished it in one sitting but I started it at night and had to stop and get a little sleep!

I loved Derry O’Donnell so much.  She was like a real person, not overly tough but not super ‘I’m just a girl and I need a man to help with everything!’ either.  So many books these days have the typical ‘strong female’ character that saves the whole world all by herself by the end of the series.  And, don’t get me wrong; I do enjoy reading about strong females.  I just don’t like overly done female characters that are always stronger and smarter and better than everyone else.  That’s not realistic!  Anyways, Derry is not like that.  She knows what she can do but she also knows when she needs to ask for help.

Honestly, this is a great book to pick up!  I wish I could find better words!  All I can say is that Madam Tulip is great!  Read it!!!!

*Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Dash's Busy Day by Terrance Perrin

Goodreads Summary

Learn basic direction concepts and counting as Dash the dragonfly flies left, then right, and all around the pond seeing several other pond inhabitants along the way. Simple, brightly colored, engaging character checking out the environment in which it lives, counting as it goes. The original illustrations were done in ink and watercolor and scanned into computer for final touch up and addition of text. 24 page picture book.

My Thoughts

This was a very cute book!  As a former preschool teacher and a mother of two, I would definitely have read this book to me students and my own kids when they were little.  Any book that is entertaining and educational at the same time is a great tool in classrooms.

I also really enjoyed the illustrations.  Children will enjoy the bright colors and sweet, happy faces and, honestly, I found several of them extremely pretty!  I love books with lovely pictures!

If you have children or if you teach young children you should check out this book!  I love supporting new authors and you should too!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Heroes and Villains: Pawn in the Game by Tara R

Goodreads Summary

Aurora Grimaldi’s life has been about fighting for justice under the ruthless regime of Shadow kingdoms. In a twist of fate, she uncovers a secret organization run by creatures of magic- the Imperium.

The Imperium is in a crisis. Something has been stolen from them and they will stop at nothing to get it back. The more Aurora gets involved, the deeper she is pulled into a web of lies and deceit. And it doesn’t help when the Shadow kingdoms start interfering.

With the thief lurking in the shadows, Aurora struggles to find her place in everything that is going on and her choices may just have far more dangerous consequences than she could have imagined.

My Thoughts

The author of this book, Tara R, emailed me and asked if I would be willing to read her book and I gladly accepted.  I have read several fantasy books and, as a matter of fact, they are one of my most read genres so I was really looking forward to it.  It did have a plot line that was new, which is hard to do since there are so many fantasy books out there, so I did enjoy that.  With that being said, there were a few things that I didn't necessarily love.

Let's start with the things I did like.  The character Aurora was a strong girl and I really like books with strong female characters.  The book had several plot twists that kept you on your toes wondering what was going to happen next.  I could tell that Tara R did her homework when it came to research and things in order to build her world.

Now for some of the things I didn't necessarily enjoy.  There were a few grammar issues but I'm able to get over that.  I found myself a bit confused at times with the different point of views.  The flow from character to character wasn't there for me.  I would start reading for a bit and then have to backtrack to see whose point of view I was reading from at that time.  Also, I had trouble with the way it went back and forth from past to present.  It was just a bit confusing.

All in all, it wasn't a bad book; it just wasn't the best I've ever read.  I love supporting new authors who have taken the leap and even self published their book so I do hope people get this book.  I really believe that the next one will be even better too!

*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.